


The Day Arthur...

by Azile_Teacup



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-17
Updated: 2013-08-17
Packaged: 2017-12-23 19:33:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/930258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azile_Teacup/pseuds/Azile_Teacup
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur cuts himself. Merlin feints. Wait, what? Shouldn't that be the other way around? Written for kinkme!Merlin</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Day Arthur...

**Author's Note:**

> WARNINGS: blood and feinting. Lots of blood, though. And hospitals.
> 
> NOTE: I wrote this a long time ago, and I made mistakes, so here is a note. I use girl in a derogatory way, like in the show :(

Arthur's in a good mood. A very good mood. He just won his case and got an, admittedly shady and not very nice, business man off some charge or other. Nothing too big. Arthur started refusing those sorts of cases after her met the victim in a case. He turns his mind away from that and calls out for Merlin. No answer.

"M? Ems? Meeeerlin! I guess you're not here? No?"

Arthur realises he's talking to himself and wonders if the places they put crazy people these days are nice. Merlin's always threatening to send him to one. He hangs his coat and bag on his peg and whistles the song that's been tormenting him all day, stopping at the same spot as before. 

"Damn. Okay, where would I be if I was Merlin? Pub? Possibly. Gaius's? Not on a Tuesday. Our bedroom? Merlin!... nope. Hunith's? Too far. Ooh, maybe he's at Gwen's, baking."

Arthur smiles at the thought of cookies and then smiles at the thought of Merlin and decides Merlin deserves to have something nice done for him for a change. Merlin's always making cookies for Arthur, giving Arthur little kisses, leaving little notes, making nice dinners. 

"Dinner!"

Arthur beams at his geniussness and runs to the kitchen to dig out the recipe book from the fridge. He's always hiding it from Merlin and behind the tomatoes seems a pretty effective place. He hasn't come home to find the kitchen a mess in a while. 

"Hmm. Soup? Boring. Chicken! No, Merlin's a vegetable. I know! Risotto."

Merlin loves risotto. Arthur flips to the back to where the hand written recipes are taped from their trip to Italy. Arthur had taken great care to have them written in Italian so Merlin can't read them, thus ensuring their kitchen against the over enthusiasm that is Merlin cooking. Gwen can deal with that.

"Here we are. Start by... hmmm. Ah! Chopping! Chopping vegetables. The vegetables. What vegetables? Ah, carrots. Peas. Can't chop peas. Courgette."

Arthur pulls everything from the fridge an dumps it on the side and, while he's about it, he gets the rice, wine, stock and butter he'll need. 

"Onions!"

And the diced onion from the freezer. Merlin's so considerate, always chops more than necessary and freezes it so Arthur doesn't have to cry. Arthur surveys his ingredients and decides he'd better set the table first. 

Arthur sets out their best, matching plates and glasses, a jug of juice, a bowl of salad (mostly left over from one he bought for lunch, Merlin will never know and it was huge, what else should he do with it?) and cutlery. He eyes it critically, snaps his fingers and gets a basket of bread and a bowl of olive oil as well. And then two candles. Short stubby ones that Merlin likes. 

"Okay. Okay? Yeah. It's good."

"Arthur? Are you talking to yourself again? We have a room all made up in the crazy house."

Arthur's eyes widen and he rushes to the hall.

"No! No, you can't be home!"

"What? Hello to you, too."

"I... nothing. It's fine."

Arthur waves Merlin through to the dining room, dejected that his surprise is ruined. Merlin gives him a look but trudges through, moaning about Gwaine moaning about Elena moaning about Gwaine. It's confusing and Arthur's still trying to work it out when Merlin turns to him, beaming.

"Did you make me dinner?"

"No. You got back too early. I just laid the table."

Merlin laughs and wraps his arms around Arthur's waist and back anyway, kissing his nose then his eyelids then, finally, his lips. Arthur presses into the kiss and parts his lips a bit, looking for Merlin's tongue. Merlin pulls back though.

"Well, little lady? Are you going to cook for me?"

Arthur glares, but it's half-hearted. He's quite excited about cooking for Merlin. Merlin smiles at the glare and brushes a hand down Arthur's neck. 

"I love you."

"Oh. Okay. I'll cook for you. I'm making Italian risotto."

"The one you won't translate for me to make? Can I watch?"

"Sure. Bring the glasses and we can have a drink as well."

Merlin nods and Arthur goes back to the kitchen to re-read the recipe, arrange his ingredients, get the pan ready and clean down the sides. When he's done Merlin's standing in the doorway looking amused.

"Ready yet, chef?"

"Shut up and sit on the stool."

Merlin does as he's told, for once. Or at least half of it. He doesn't shut up. He starts babbling about Gwaine again.

"You were at the pub, then?"

"Yup. Were you expecting me here? Sorry."

"I won."

"Well done. Knew you would. How long until you have the money to start your own practice?"

"Years. Leon might be interested though, and Lance."

"The new guy?"

Arthur pulls the knife for vegetables from the draw and chops the ends off the carrots.

"Yeah. He's good. Leon saw him in court."

"Good old Leon. Steadfast Leon. Years of loyalt-"

"Shut up."

"Careful with the knife."

Arthur rolls his eyes and slices the carrots neatly in half after tossing the ends in the bin. Clean up as you go, that's what he's been taught by a string of cooks and nannies. 

"So I don't suppose it'll take too long. Not with three of us."

"Gwaine might do it."

"He gave up law."

"Yeah but, and you'd know this if you'd been listening, he wants to start again to impress Elena."

"Oh. I got confused with all the moaning."

Arthur blushes as he realises what that sounded like and the knife, the sharpest knife, the best knife, slips. He feels the bite across the palm of his hands where he's holding the courgettes to have their ends chopped off, feels the knife slide down. 

He looks and sees red bloom across the courgettes and the clean steel of the blade. And his hand. He's not going to be able to use these courgettes and they don't have any more.

"Bugger."

"What? Did you cut yourself?"

"Yeah. I got blood on the courgettes. I might have to go buy new ones."

Arthur turns to show Merlin. Merlin takes a look at Arthur's palm, goes white, wavers a moment. He looks up at Arthur and back at Arthur's hand and then slides to the floor in a little Merlin-heap of bones and body. 

"Merlin!"

Arthur drops the courgettes and watches, absently, as they roll under the counter and leaves little courgette footsteps of blood. He kneels by Merlin and straightens the heap out with his good hand, worriedly patting Merlin's body over to look for the cause of this. 

Merlin moans and his eyes flutter so Arthur scrambles to elevate his feet on the bars of the stool so Merlin can't leap up when he wakes, then hurries back to press his good hand on Merlin's chest to keep him down. He's dripping blood on the floor and notes he should probably do something about that. Not till Merlin wakes up though.

"Hhn?"

"Merlin!"

Arthur pats Merlin's face to help him wake and then puts his hand back on Merlin's chest when he tries to sit.

"Stay. You fainted. Are you hurt? Sick? Oh god, are you dying and didn't tell me to make me feel better? Why are you collapsing all over the place! Oh god, I'll call a doctor. I'll call Gaius!"

Merlin grasps Arthur's (good) hand and laughs a little tiny laugh. He's all pale and wibbly looking and Arthur tugs anxiously, trying to get at his phone to ring Gaius and an ambulance and a helicopter to come save Merlin.

"Arthur, I'm fine. I just don't much like the sight of blood and that surprised me. Have you put pressure on it?"

Arthur shakes his head.

"You fainted because I cut my hand? Shouldn't I be the one fainting?"

"Sure. But you don't mind the sight of blood and I do."

"I'm not much liking it right now. I got little courgette footprints all over the floor."

"Courgette footprints?"

Arthur points and Merlin turns his head and goes a bit whiter.

"Arthur. You're dripping onto the floor. You need to stop the bleeding. Get a dish cloth and press it against your palm."

"I need to clean the floor."

"Not till you get pressure on that."

Merlin closes his eyes and gulps. Arthur scrambles for the tea-towel and presses it into the cut, eyes staying on Merlin, then hovers.

"I've done it. I did it. I... stop looking so white!"

Merlin laughs again and opens his eyes, reassuringly. Arthur sighs in relief and gets up to get a bowl of water and a cloth.

"Arthur, what are you doing?"

"Gonna clean the blood up. Get you less pale. Wine? Does wine help fainting?"

"Um, no. Just sit for a minute and see if the bleeding stops."

Arthur sits on the floor and cleans the little and not so little drops of blood off the tiles, then the little courgette footprints, then puts the courgettes in the bowl as well.

"Don't look at the bowl, Merlin. Don't look. Close your eyes."

He hurries to empty the blood and looks around, checking for more. Just the knife. He cleans that, cleans the sink then sits back by Merlin's head to pat Merlin a bit more.

"It's all cleaned up. Are you feeling better?"

"Yes. Kind of fuzzy. I know it's still there, under that cloth. Nice going with the elevating of my feet, by the way."

"I remembered."

"How's the bleeding?"

Arthur checks. It's not stopping but he wants Merlin better.

"It's fine."

"Which means it's still bleeding."

Merlin sits and sways, leaning against Arthur's shoulder for a minute.

"Whoa."

"Lie down!"

"No, we need to call Gwen to come drive us to the hospital."

"Why'd you do a first aid course if you hate blood?"

"I'm a teacher. It's a good thing to have."

"And what about when a child gets a graze or cut?"

"I send him or her to the nurse if it makes me woozy. It was mostly because it was a surprise. You're never clumsy like this, that's me!"

"I know. You embarrassed me. With all the moaning."

"So it's my fault you cut yourself?"

"Yup. Everything's your fault, M."

"Of course."

Arthur digs in his pocket with his good hand and pulls out his phone. 

"Siri, Call Gwen."

The phone, for once, does as commanded and Arthur holds it to his ear.

-Hello Arthur, no I won't make you cookies.-

"I like Merlin's best. But I was ringing because I cut my hand and Merlin fainted. Cus he's a girl about blood. He says I have to go to the hospital."

-Are you okay?-

"Fine. Merlin's being a girl."

-I'm a girl-

"No, you're an honorary boy."

-When we were six.-

"That's only eighteen years ago."

-I'll drive you to the hospital. Is Merlin okay?-

"Dunno."

-Ask him-

"Did that."

-Then you know something. Stop worrying, I'll be there in ten minutes-

"You drive like a girl!"

-I am a girl. I thought we established that. Bye Arthur-

"Why do you and Gwen always end up arguing about whether she's a girl?"

"Because. Why aren't you yelling that's you're not a girl? Are you going to faint again?"

"No, but your bandage is leaking."

Arthur looks down and sees a red spot spreading. It seems to be his turn to feel faint.

"Oh."

"Whoa, all right."

Arthur realises he's suddenly pressed against Merlin's side, face squished against Merlin's shoulder.

"Maybe you should lie down?"

"Maybe we should both lie down."

Merlin giggles and they stretch out on the kitchen floor, Merlin's feet up on the bars of the stools. Arthur rests his hand on his chest and turns his head to look at Merlin. Merlin's looking back, less pale.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Mm. Horizontal is good."

"Yup. Very good. Gwen can use her key."

Arthur nods.

"Did you have a good day?"

"I did. One of my boys was so cute. Viv was crying so Will toddled over to her and offered to hold her hand and they were inseparable all day. It was the sweetest thing because she's usually really mean to Will because he's not rich."

"She sounds not nice."

"She's a product of her parents, Arthur."

"So you've said. What about your finger painting? Any new fridge pictures?"

They both look at the picture covered fridge, no white showing through, then up at the cupboard above it which is also plastered.

"No. Luckily. There's no space."

"We'll find a new space. Merlin?"

"Yeah?"

"I feel really weird."

"I know. Just lie still and keep your hand elevated."

"Kay."

They both turn to the doorway at the sound of a key in the front door, waiting. Gwen appears a moment later wearing a pair of Lance's jeans.

"Ha! You did Lance!"

"Arthur!"

Merlin laughs and waves to Gwen.

"Hello."

"Are you having a floor party?"

"No. Just dizzy."

"I brought Lance to help, luckily. Lance!"

Lance appears behind her and waves, then crouches by Arthur gravely. Arthur waves, the room dipping out of focus. He quite likes Lance.

"I'm bleeding."

"Shit."

That's Merlin. Blue eyes.

"Are you gonna faint again? He's a girl."

"No, I won't faint. Come on, Lance. Get him up."

Arthur feels everything tilt and moans. No tilting. He bends his knees to try and get back to the floor but something won't let him.

"No, let me go."

"I've got Merlin, do you have Arthur?"

"Yes. Let's go."

Arthur's glad someone has Merlin, but...

"Do you have my legs, too? I've lost them."

"Yes, legs are here."

"Good. I'd hate to loose them."

Arthur closes his eyes. 

When he blinks he's in a very white place and no Merlin. 

"Merlin? M? Ems! Mer, merl! Merlin!!!"

"Hush. He went to buy a juice carton."

"Hello Gwen. Where am I? Why am I? How?"

"You fainted."

"No, that was Merlin. He doesn't like blood."

"Yes, he fainted then you fainted, then he fainted again because you bled a lot, all through your shirt. You're getting a blood bag."

Arthur blinks up and sees a big bag above him.

"Merlin won't like that."

"That's why it's covered in paper. They're normally clear."

"Ah."

"Arthur? Hey, you're awake."

Arthur turns and sighs in relief to see Merlin in the door. He reaches out and makes grabby hands until Merlin rolls his eyes and comes gives him a hug. Arthur holds on and then smacks Merlin's head.

"You are not to faint any more. It scared me. Gwen said you did it again as well!"

"Um, it's your fault."

"No, you made me think dirty things. I was just happily cooking you dinner and then you started on about moaning. And you made me cook you dinner."

"I'll have you know it was you talking about moaning, Mr selective mem- I did not make you do anything!"

"Yeah. You're always doing nice things, always making me feel guilty."

Merlin laughs suddenly and kisses Arthur's hair. Arthur grabs Merlin's chin and makes him kiss him properly, tongue and all. Then he pulls Merlin onto the bed, wraps him up in his arms like a teddy bear and rolls them so he's the big spoon.

"Go away Gwen. We're sleeping."

"Right. I'll see you later. Call me when you need a ride home."

Arthur ignores her and snuggles into Merlin's neck.

"This is more comfy than the kitchen floor."

"How do you like your bandage?" Arthur looks down at his hand and notices it's pink. Bright pink, "I chose it."

Merlin sounds gleeful. Arthur decides to best him.

"Then I love it. Anything you choose, I love."

Merlin laughs and twists so he can kiss Arthur again. 

"Did the doctor check you too, Merlin?"

"Yup. Made me drink lots of juice. Said I shouldn't try to do too much. Do you think cuddling is too much?"

"Nah. We're good cuddlers. Not too strenuous."

Arthur yawns which makes Merlin yawn which makes them both giggle.

"Shall we nap?"

"Yes please. I'm all tired from falling in a heap. I think I bruised my hip as well."

"Oh no. We'll have to look at that bruise. I'll check your bum, too."

"Kay. Later."

"Yeah."

"I'll check your bum, too. In case the knife slipped there."

They giggle again and Arthur pushes his nose into Merlin's neck, dozing a bit. Merlin's breathing evens and Arthur sighs in relief, relaxing himself and following Merlin into sleep.


End file.
